Ben Stone
@benstemon.bsky.social
Assistant Professor - Mississippi State University - evolutionary biologist - Penstemon
Website: benstemon.github.io
Website: benstemon.github.io
Reposted by Ben Stone
Science communication is at the heart of why I love doing in science.
Take a look at this paper we published on a workshop we did on effective ways of doing science communication across multiple settings. @esalatamcarib.bsky.social
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Take a look at this paper we published on a workshop we did on effective ways of doing science communication across multiple settings. @esalatamcarib.bsky.social
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
From Research to Action: Communicating Science Effectively for Real‐World Impact
Click on the article title to read more.
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
February 14, 2026 at 1:46 AM
Science communication is at the heart of why I love doing in science.
Take a look at this paper we published on a workshop we did on effective ways of doing science communication across multiple settings. @esalatamcarib.bsky.social
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Take a look at this paper we published on a workshop we did on effective ways of doing science communication across multiple settings. @esalatamcarib.bsky.social
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Reposted by Ben Stone
We're excited to be recruiting an NIH funded postdoc to work in the Coop lab at UC Davis. We're specifically interested in candidates who are want to work at the intersection of human genetics, GWAS, and population genetics modeling. Please RT
October 15, 2025 at 3:53 PM
We're excited to be recruiting an NIH funded postdoc to work in the Coop lab at UC Davis. We're specifically interested in candidates who are want to work at the intersection of human genetics, GWAS, and population genetics modeling. Please RT
Reposted by Ben Stone
Awful. Really sad to hear. I’m sorry that happened to your student.
February 5, 2026 at 12:21 AM
Awful. Really sad to hear. I’m sorry that happened to your student.
Reposted by Ben Stone
Congratulations to the recipients of the 2025 Rosemary Grant Advanced Awards!
www.evolutionsociety.org/news/display...
www.evolutionsociety.org/news/display...
February 2, 2026 at 2:29 AM
Congratulations to the recipients of the 2025 Rosemary Grant Advanced Awards!
www.evolutionsociety.org/news/display...
www.evolutionsociety.org/news/display...
Ghouls, each and every one of you
Academics vying for a spot in Epstein‘s world. There are so many. I feel the need to make a thread, so I don’t keep confusing them. 1/
February 1, 2026 at 1:22 AM
Ghouls, each and every one of you
Reposted by Ben Stone
Academics vying for a spot in Epstein‘s world. There are so many. I feel the need to make a thread, so I don’t keep confusing them. 1/
January 31, 2026 at 9:02 PM
Academics vying for a spot in Epstein‘s world. There are so many. I feel the need to make a thread, so I don’t keep confusing them. 1/
I saw penstemon incertus blooming in December in western Mojave this year
January 26, 2026 at 8:25 PM
I saw penstemon incertus blooming in December in western Mojave this year
We have FACSaria machines here that I am able to use with assistance — I’m hoping that will work out
January 26, 2026 at 7:23 PM
We have FACSaria machines here that I am able to use with assistance — I’m hoping that will work out
Looks very useful! Going to try some flow myself but no prior experience
January 26, 2026 at 6:29 PM
Looks very useful! Going to try some flow myself but no prior experience
Reposted by Ben Stone
Check out AJB's special issue "Paradigm shifts in flower color" a bunch of cool papers on flower coloration with a focus on non-pollinator drivers of color variation 🌸🌼🌺https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/15372197/2026/113/1
Special Issue: Paradigm Shifts in Flower Color: American Journal of Botany: Vol 113, No 1
Click on the title to browse this issue
bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
January 20, 2026 at 8:26 PM
Check out AJB's special issue "Paradigm shifts in flower color" a bunch of cool papers on flower coloration with a focus on non-pollinator drivers of color variation 🌸🌼🌺https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/15372197/2026/113/1
New preprint is up!
Not going spoil the results for you 🤓 but we looked at some “bird” vs “bee”-pollinated Penstemon hybrid zones and came away with some pretty unexpected results!
Not going spoil the results for you 🤓 but we looked at some “bird” vs “bee”-pollinated Penstemon hybrid zones and came away with some pretty unexpected results!
January 19, 2026 at 12:51 PM
New preprint is up!
Not going spoil the results for you 🤓 but we looked at some “bird” vs “bee”-pollinated Penstemon hybrid zones and came away with some pretty unexpected results!
Not going spoil the results for you 🤓 but we looked at some “bird” vs “bee”-pollinated Penstemon hybrid zones and came away with some pretty unexpected results!
Reposted by Ben Stone
The National Science Foundation sign on our Eisenhower Av building is now gone.
The NSF mural in the foyer is removed and torn off in sheets.
We were supposed to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the agency in May 2025. That never happened.
The NSF mural in the foyer is removed and torn off in sheets.
We were supposed to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the agency in May 2025. That never happened.
January 18, 2026 at 2:00 AM
The National Science Foundation sign on our Eisenhower Av building is now gone.
The NSF mural in the foyer is removed and torn off in sheets.
We were supposed to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the agency in May 2025. That never happened.
The NSF mural in the foyer is removed and torn off in sheets.
We were supposed to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the agency in May 2025. That never happened.
It’s also very easy to spot which applicants just had it write all of their documents vs writing their own, or at the very least editing it afterwards
I have some bad news. One, if you need to use ChatGPT for your graduate application letter, you are not ready for graduate school.
Two, no, not "everyone is doing it" and those who don't do it aren't "losing out." ChatGPT is not an advantage.
Two, no, not "everyone is doing it" and those who don't do it aren't "losing out." ChatGPT is not an advantage.
An impressive number of graduate applications this year used the phrase “curiosity-driven approach” 🤔
January 18, 2026 at 5:53 PM
It’s also very easy to spot which applicants just had it write all of their documents vs writing their own, or at the very least editing it afterwards
Reposted by Ben Stone
I am in the market for a PhD student this year. Please don’t use LLM to write your statement of research. Yes it is obvious. I want to know who you are, not how you prompt.
I have some more bad news.
If an admissions committee even suspects you used ChatGPT for your application letter, they'll almost certainly decide not to waste a precious admissions spot on you.
Instead they'll give it to, you know, someone who actually likes to write and knows how to do it.
If an admissions committee even suspects you used ChatGPT for your application letter, they'll almost certainly decide not to waste a precious admissions spot on you.
Instead they'll give it to, you know, someone who actually likes to write and knows how to do it.
I have some bad news. One, if you need to use ChatGPT for your graduate application letter, you are not ready for graduate school.
Two, no, not "everyone is doing it" and those who don't do it aren't "losing out." ChatGPT is not an advantage.
Two, no, not "everyone is doing it" and those who don't do it aren't "losing out." ChatGPT is not an advantage.
January 17, 2026 at 11:40 PM
I am in the market for a PhD student this year. Please don’t use LLM to write your statement of research. Yes it is obvious. I want to know who you are, not how you prompt.
That moment you have thousands of lines of code and you need to clean it up for the GitHub repo for your paper
I have 10 scripts just for this one analysis WHY DID I DO THIS TO MYSELF
I have 10 scripts just for this one analysis WHY DID I DO THIS TO MYSELF
January 17, 2026 at 1:42 AM
That moment you have thousands of lines of code and you need to clean it up for the GitHub repo for your paper
I have 10 scripts just for this one analysis WHY DID I DO THIS TO MYSELF
I have 10 scripts just for this one analysis WHY DID I DO THIS TO MYSELF
Reposted by Ben Stone
This #VirtualIssue captures the breadth and momentum of current research in #nectar and nectary biology, spanning ecology, evolution, development, and physiology 👇
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1...
#PlantScience
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1...
#PlantScience
January 4, 2026 at 12:00 PM
This #VirtualIssue captures the breadth and momentum of current research in #nectar and nectary biology, spanning ecology, evolution, development, and physiology 👇
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1...
#PlantScience
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1...
#PlantScience
Reposted by Ben Stone
🌼🎨 From the upcoming #AJB Special Issue: “Paradigm Shifts in #Flower Color" 🎨🌼
#Pollinator, herbivore, & climatic selective pressures differ across a floral color transition zone
By Sierra Jaeger, et al.
doi.org/10.1002/ajb2... #botany #plantscience #herbivory #pollination @aeberardi.bsky.social
#Pollinator, herbivore, & climatic selective pressures differ across a floral color transition zone
By Sierra Jaeger, et al.
doi.org/10.1002/ajb2... #botany #plantscience #herbivory #pollination @aeberardi.bsky.social
December 18, 2025 at 3:18 PM
🌼🎨 From the upcoming #AJB Special Issue: “Paradigm Shifts in #Flower Color" 🎨🌼
#Pollinator, herbivore, & climatic selective pressures differ across a floral color transition zone
By Sierra Jaeger, et al.
doi.org/10.1002/ajb2... #botany #plantscience #herbivory #pollination @aeberardi.bsky.social
#Pollinator, herbivore, & climatic selective pressures differ across a floral color transition zone
By Sierra Jaeger, et al.
doi.org/10.1002/ajb2... #botany #plantscience #herbivory #pollination @aeberardi.bsky.social
Reposted by Ben Stone
Blog post: Just quit
Quitting projects in science is hard, but we should be doing a lot more of it.
open.substack.com/pub/arjunraj...
Quitting projects in science is hard, but we should be doing a lot more of it.
open.substack.com/pub/arjunraj...
Just quit
Quitting projects in science is hard, but we should be doing a lot more of it.
open.substack.com
December 30, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Blog post: Just quit
Quitting projects in science is hard, but we should be doing a lot more of it.
open.substack.com/pub/arjunraj...
Quitting projects in science is hard, but we should be doing a lot more of it.
open.substack.com/pub/arjunraj...
I love that tiny stool
December 20, 2025 at 2:09 PM
I love that tiny stool
A lot of focus on the slop that LLMs can produce and bad faith researchers (frauds) who cite these fake papers, and for good reason, but I’d also like to highlight the worthless journals that allow this crap to make it through copy editing.
Everyone’s to blame!
Everyone’s to blame!
Do not cite an academic paper unless you’ve read it
AI Is Inventing Academic Papers That Don't Exist -- And They're Being Cited in Real Journals
Academic articles from authors using large language model are creating an ecosystem of fake research that threatens human knowledge itself.
www.rollingstone.com
December 20, 2025 at 11:40 AM
A lot of focus on the slop that LLMs can produce and bad faith researchers (frauds) who cite these fake papers, and for good reason, but I’d also like to highlight the worthless journals that allow this crap to make it through copy editing.
Everyone’s to blame!
Everyone’s to blame!